Sunday, June 1, 2014

How to get free HDTV and improve your view in just a few hours

What do you do when your new home has a massive satellite dish dangerously perched high above your garage, looming over your backyard? A satellite dish so large that it is the first thing you see each morning when you open your bedroom curtains. Well, you could try to ignore it and pretend that this visual blight does not belong to you. Or you could use it to communicate with other planets. Or better yet, you could convert it to a digital antenna and stop paying outrageous cable TV fees!

I was very annoyed with Rogers Cable when we moved because my old analogue cable package is no longer available and I could not move it to my new house. Instead, I had to upgrade to digital cable plus they charge extra for a second TV. Don't like! I told them so, but unfortunately was unable to get a better deal. Well that was the tipping point. The big dish and Rogers had to go.

Now, I'm quite a handy gal and I like to get stuff done myself, but I'm also afraid of heights. The idea of wrestling this mammoth dish to the ground gave me visions of ambulance rides after dropping it on my partner's head or law suits when I crush the neighbour's cat. Instead, I called Doctor Antenna!

OK. I called a few people but I chose Doctor Antenna because he could install a sleek new HDTV antenna on the roof (tucked away out of sight!!!), safely remove the old satellite dish, dispose of all the waste, and he's fully insured. I have experimented with indoor antennas and I got pretty good reception, but I didn't like having it in my window sill and I really hated tripping over all the cables running to the TV. It was time for a real pro!

The Doctor (a.k.a. Chris) and his assistant had that old satellite dish down in no time, but it wasn't easy. They had to cut it in pie-shaped pieces and lower them down individually. He used a reciprocating saw and a variety of grinders, twisting and bending into all kinds of strange angles -- all while attached to a safety harness. He worked quickly, efficiently and safely -- plus he's a great guy with lots of interesting stories to share. And as a bonus, he used his powerful grinder to remove a few of the vertical fence posts from the old chain link fence. Beauty!! BBQ season is going to be so much better without that ugly dish watching over us.

I really enjoyed watching the Doctor at work while both my feet were safely planted on the ground, but I had to get back to my primary project for the day (painting the front bedroom before our new furniture arrives tomorrow morning!). So the Doctor is going to return to install the HDTV. Stay tuned for that post!

Thanks to Doctor Antenna, no ambulance rides were required and no cats were killed in the beautification of my view! If you're interested in upgrading to free over-the-air HDTV or removing your own visual blight, give him a call at 416-835-1764, and please say hi from me.

About Me

I write and manage content for the internet and I have made several independent films. I'm an open source advocate and late adopter techie. I'm a part time student in Communication & Culture at Ryerson & York Universities. I volunteer one night per week as a math tutor.